Farewell, Bound for Flame City!

This sparring session lasted nearly two hours!

Lin Dong was so exhausted he could barely stand, yet his eyes shone brilliantly.

"Brother Luo Heng, I..." He panted, wanting to say something, but Luo Heng raised a hand to stop him.

"Regulate your breathing first."

Luo Heng took out a pill that restored Primal Energy and handed it over. Lin Dong did not refuse; he sat cross-legged and began absorbing its medicinal power.

Only then did Qing Tan skip over.

"Brother Luo Heng!" she called sweetly, naturally looping her arm around his as she continued, "I saw everything just now! You looked so impressive teaching Brother Lin Dong!"

Luo Heng smiled and rubbed her hair, saying fondly, "You little rascal, when did you get here?"

He had actually known all along, but...

"I've been here for ages!" Qing Tan tilted her head, her bright eyes fixed on him. Then she asked, "Brother Luo Heng, I heard you say you're going to Flame City?"

"Mm, I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

Qing Tan's little face immediately fell, and she pouted as she said gloomily, "So soon? Will you be gone for a long time...?"

"Not long. I'll be back in a few months. When I return, I'll bring you the best pastries in Flame City," Luo Heng said gently.

"Really?"

Qing Tan's eyes lit up again, but they soon dimmed as she said, "But... a few months is such a long time..."

She let go of Luo Heng's arm, lowered her head, and twisted the corner of her clothes between her fingers.

Seeing her like this, Luo Heng's heart softened. She had followed behind him since childhood like a little tail, and their bond had naturally grown deep.

How could he possibly fail to see how she felt about him?

It was just that... she was still young.

"Qing Tan," Luo Heng called softly.

"Mm?" Qing Tan raised her head, her eyes slightly red.

"Cultivate diligently. When I return, I'll check on your progress. If you improve enough, I'll bring you a special gift," Luo Heng said with a smile.

"What gift?" Qing Tan asked curiously.

"I can't tell you now. It won't be a surprise if I do." Luo Heng gave her a mysterious wink.

Qing Tan laughed at that and nodded vigorously. "Mm! I'll definitely cultivate hard! Just wait for me, Brother Luo Heng!"

At that moment, Lin Dong finished regulating his breathing and walked over.

"How do you feel?" Luo Heng asked Lin Dong with a smile.

"Much better." Lin Dong stretched his limbs, gratitude in his eyes. "Brother Luo Heng, thank you."

"No need for thanks between brothers." Luo Heng waved a hand, then his expression turned serious.

"Dongzi, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."

Seeing this, Lin Dong knew that Brother Luo Heng was about to speak about Talisman Masters. He too became solemn, nodded, and said, "Please speak, Brother Luo Heng."

"The path of a Talisman Master places Spiritual Power above all else. I'll first teach you a basic method for cultivating Spiritual Power, called Concentration Technique. It is an ordinary-grade spiritual secret art, but it is balanced and steady, making it suitable for beginners." As Luo Heng spoke, he extended a finger and gently pressed it against Lin Dong's brow.

A cool breath flowed from his fingertip into Lin Dong's mind. At the same time, a complicated mantra and circulation route were clearly imprinted into his consciousness.

Lin Dong closed his eyes and sensed it for a moment. When he opened them again, there was a new measure of understanding in his gaze.

"Thank you, Brother Luo Heng!" He bowed once more.

"Don't rush to practice it yet. Your main focus should still be martial cultivation. Spend half an hour each day cultivating Spiritual Power, but do not neglect the essentials for the trivial," Luo Heng said.

"I understand." Lin Dong nodded.

"Also..."

Luo Heng pondered for a moment before deciding to offer a reminder. "That stone on you... is very special. Make good use of it, but remember: possessing a treasure invites disaster."

Lin Dong was startled. He had not expected Brother Luo Heng to know even about the mysterious Stone Talisman.

Yet he did not ask further. He merely nodded heavily and said, "All right, Brother Luo Heng. I'll be careful."

Luo Heng looked at the sky. The sun had already set, so he said, "It's getting late. I should head back as well. Dongzi, Qing Tan, take care."

"Take care, Brother Luo Heng!" the two said in unison.

Qing Tan bit her lip, then suddenly stepped forward and quickly kissed Luo Heng on the cheek before blushing and hiding behind Lin Dong.

"Brother Luo Heng... come back soon," she said quietly.

Luo Heng froze for a moment, then smiled. He reached out and rubbed her hair, saying gently, "All right."

As he turned to leave, however, his heart was filled with a trace of complicated emotion.

He accepted the feelings this girl had for him.

But what the future held... he would let nature take its course.

After all, who could say what the future would bring?

Two days later, early morning.

Luo Heng rode out of Qingyang Town.

He brought no guards and made no grand display. Everything he carried had been placed in the System Space, and just like that, he set off for Flame City.

Qingyang Town was roughly two hundred li from Flame City. Riding at full speed, he could arrive in half a day.

But Luo Heng was in no hurry. After leaving Qingyang Town, he did not take the main road. Instead, he turned onto a secluded mountain path.

He wanted to see whether he could encounter any "fortuitous opportunities" along the way, or more precisely, what rewards the system's check-in could provide in the wilderness.

The mountain path was rugged, and the forest was rather dense. The trees were thick and ancient, comparable to the old-growth trees from his previous life.

Luo Heng slowed his horse and observed his surroundings as he went.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the entrance to a valley.

The air was permeated with a faint fragrance of grass and wood.

"System, check in here," Luo Heng silently said to himself.

[Ding! Daily Check-in successful! Obtained: Grade 2 Spiritual Medicine - Azure Spirit Grass ×3, Mortal Grade Rune - Light Body Rune ×2]

The rewards were ordinary, but better than nothing. It seemed there was nothing special here.

Luo Heng stored the Azure Spirit Grass and Light Body Runes in the System Space before continuing onward.

After passing through the valley, a clear stream appeared ahead.

Several smooth boulders rested beside the stream, making a perfect place to rest.

Luo Heng dismounted and let the horse drink by the stream. He sat cross-legged atop a boulder, preparing to cultivate for a while.

However, the instant he closed his eyes, he sensed something unusual.

"There's a smell of blood."

Luo Heng frowned slightly as his Spiritual Power silently spread outward.

Everything within a hundred-meter radius immediately became clear in his mind.

About eighty meters upstream, behind a patch of bushes, someone lay on the ground.

A person covered in blood, with only a faint breath remaining.

Luo Heng rose and used the Flowing Cloud and Soaring Goose Steps. With several swift leaps, he arrived beside the person.

It was a young man of around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, dressed in blue. But his blue clothing was now more than half stained red with blood.

There was a saber wound on his chest deep enough to expose bone. His left arm was fractured, his face was pale as paper, and his breathing was so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

"Such severe injuries..." Luo Heng crouched down and examined him carefully.

This young man's cultivation was not weak; he was at the late Earthen Yuan Stage. Yet his Primal Energy was scattered, showing that he had clearly gone through a fierce battle.

What caught Luo Heng's attention even more was the token hanging from the young man's waist, engraved with the character "symbol."

"A member of the Symbol Master Tower?"

The Flame City Rune Master Tower was where Flame City's Talisman Masters gathered, as well as the place where their lineage was passed down.

If this young man was from the Symbol Master Tower, saving him might spare Luo Heng quite a bit of trouble. But it could also bring trouble, since whoever had attacked him dared to provoke the Symbol Master Tower.

Still, Luo Heng did not hesitate. He took several healing pills from the System Space and fed them to the young man.

At the same time, he activated the Great Devouring Art, pressed his palm against the young man's back, helped him refine the medicinal power, and guided the scattered Primal Energy within his body back together.

Half an hour later.

The young man's breathing gradually steadied, and a trace of color returned to his face.

His eyelashes trembled as he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment he saw Luo Heng, vigilance flashed through his eyes. He instinctively tried to prop himself up, but tugged at his wound and groaned in pain.

"Don't move. Your injuries are serious. I just gave you pills, but you still need to rest and recover," Luo Heng said, reaching out to press him down.

Only then did the young man notice the changes in his body. His scattered Primal Energy was slowly recovering, while the stabbing pain in his chest had eased considerably.

"Was... was it you who saved me?" the young man asked hoarsely.

"It was nothing. Who are you, and why are you so badly injured?" Luo Heng asked calmly.

The young man hesitated briefly before speaking. "My name is Han Chong, a Two-Seal Symbol Master from the Flame City Rune Master Tower. I was carrying out a mission outside the city when I was ambushed on my way back..."

"An ambush? Who would dare lay hands on someone from the Symbol Master Tower?" Luo Heng frowned. This was getting interesting.

Han Chong's face darkened as he said grimly, "The Black Skull Stronghold."

"Black Skull Stronghold?" Luo Heng had some impression of the name.

It was a bandit force entrenched between Qingyang Town and Flame City. Its leader was said to be at the peak of the Earthen Yuan Stage, with several hundred desperate outlaws under his command. They specialized in robbing passing merchants and travelers, and their notoriety was immense.

"Why did they ambush you?" Luo Heng asked.

Han Chong gritted his teeth. "My mission was to escort a batch of rune materials back to the Symbol Master Tower. The Black Skull Stronghold somehow learned of it and intercepted us halfway. I fought desperately to break out and only managed to escape here..."

As he spoke, a trace of lingering fear flashed through his eyes. "If I hadn't encountered you, little brother, I would surely have died today."

Luo Heng nodded and asked no more. He had saved Han Chong partly because he wanted to establish ties with the Symbol Master Tower. Half his objective had now been achieved; the rest could wait until they reached Flame City.

"Your injuries will take a few more days before you can move about. I'll stay here for two days and wait until you recover somewhat before we continue," Luo Heng said.

Han Chong said gratefully, "Thank you, little brother! I still haven't asked your name..."

"Luo Heng, from Qingyang Town."